Contents

Description

Design

The Contender's outwards appearances has styling very reminiscent of the third generationFord SVT Lightning concept, most noticeably in the front bumper, grille (in shape, not including the split grille), hood, and back end; the color varieties it appears in are like most modern Ford F-150s though. It has a Chevrolet-like, horizontally-split grille and headlights that are similar to the 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche. Its Supercharged 5.7L V8 engine is also similar to the Lightning concept but with a larger displacement V8 (the Lightning had a 5.4L V8).

The Contender comes with a variety of bed modifications.

Performance

Despite having a Supercharged engine, its acceleration and top speed (87 mph - 140 km/h) are unimpressive, and can be equally matched by the Bobcat but the top speed is higher. Nevertheless, the Contender is impressively durable with collisions and gunfire. Handling is below average with the car feeling heavy, and understeering around corners. Despite being a pickup, it isn't a good choice for offroad driving due to its low ground clearance and lack of AWD.

Variants

A green "Supercharge" Contender is driven by the Irish Mob that can be found in Steinway. It has huge chrome bull bars, four vapid lights atop of chrome anti-roll bed bars, and adorns a special green color. Its speed and acceleration has increased a very small amount from the supercharger being added.

A Contender is also requested as part of Stevie's Car Thefts, appearing with a dark grey body color. As a new Contender will respawn at the same spot until the player delivers one to S&M Auto Sales, the player can save one at their safehouse before delivering another. The maximum amount of money you can obtain from delivering the Contender to Stevie is $8,250.

Trivia

Pre-release trivia

In the BradyGames guide, the Contender is occasionally referred to as the E109, though the game never calls it the E109. In the game's files, however, the model for the Contender is called E109. It hints that it is a beta name for the Contender.

In a car commercial on CNT (Sully's Auto Mart), a white Contender is referred to as the EXT, which could be another beta name for the truck.

The beta model of the truck, depicted on leaked pictures appear to have a less detailed body along with a different 5 spoke wheel design, this wheel however seems to have been rumored to fit the Rancher as well.

General trivia

The Contender does not have any white reverse lights or license plates. It also has very small fog lights, or rather day-time running lights in the headlights that turn on when the engine is started, which acts in same the same manner as the Perennial's and Pinnacle's fog lights.

The truck is seen as a stripped out prop, prepared for respraying in various garages in GTA IV such as the interior of Brucie's Executive Lifestyle Autos and S&M Auto Sales. However, further inspection shows the truck to be noticeably smaller than the current model, and features a rollbar similar to that seen on the "Supercharged" variant, but scaled smaller.

Billboard advertisement of the Contender in GTA IV.

The Contender cameos on a poster in a chop shop during the forth chapter of Max Payne 3. The truck's imagery appears to be recycled and was previously used on a Contender advertising in GTA IV.